The Western Empire—this was what Calot Empire called the neighboring country to the west. Back then, the country had a relatively large territory compared to its western neighbors and was located to the west of Calot, so it was simply called the Western Empire, as Calot didn't know much about it at the ti. Nowadays, everyone knows the country is called Sesvitan, but after all these years of habit, Calot still refers to it as the Western Empire. Similarly, the Western Empire doesn't call Calot by its own na either. Instead, they refer to Calot as Selyn—the earliest Western Empire envoy who contacted Calot Empire learned the pronunciation of "Calot", but when he returned to report to his king, his own language didn't have the "Calot" sound, so he couldn't quite pronounce it. After a long journey and so mory lapse regarding the pronunciation, when talking with the king, he simply referred to Calot as Selyn, which left the king puzzled: why did their neighboring country have what sounded like a girl's na? Ever since then, the Western Empire called Calot Selyn, while Calot kept calling Sesvitan the Western Empire. Both sides have tried to formally correct these nas in written correspondence, but after centuries of habit among both the people and officials, everyone sticks with the old nas.
As for Kenji, the Calot military representative, the reason he was looking toward the western border wasn't because he wanted to start a fight with the Western Empire. Relations between Calot and the Western Empire have always been friendly. Although Sesvitan's territory is quite large (smaller than Calot, but still one of the larger among its friends), its population is sparse, and arable land is limited. Its ongoing prosperity depends largely on frequent trade with Calot and reselling Calot's goods to make profits elsewhere. Militarily, the Western Empire relies heavily on Calot's security umbrella, and as a result, they are very respectful toward Calot.
However, not long ago, the Western Empire's good days ca to an end.
The Holy Church's influence has been steadily spreading eastward and has now reached the Western Empire. Previously, the Western Empire had long been under Calot's cultural influence. Combined with their own religious traditions, they'd always remained culturally independent. But now, ssages from their envoy—the sa one responsible for communication with Calot—warned that a group of Holy Church followers had appeared in the Western Empire, posing as rchants but actually spreading the Church's gospel. After these strange individuals showed up, incidents of violence and unrest within the country beca far more frequent. The Western Empire has always been relatively open—different ethnic groups are welco—but ever since those Holy Church missionaries arrived, foreign visitors often suffered attacks, and many locals started converting to the Holy Church as well. In fact, large groups of Holy Church believers began forming in different regions. The whole nation entered a truly tense state.
This news imdiately caught Kenji's attention.
To be honest, there are already quite a few countries bordering Calot that worship the Holy Church. Until now, Calot's policy was not to interfere. However, this hands-off approach clearly isn't working anymore.
The Holy Church has already infiltrated Calot, to say nothing of its neighbors. And now, it seems, the Holy Church isn't just interested in spreading their faith—they want to stir up chaos in the Western Empire, even topple its current governnt. To be blunt, the Western Empire doesn't have any strategic resources worth seizing, nor any key locations worth attacking. The reason it's beco a target is simple: it has good relations with Calot and provides an important trade route. Calot's western border is already sparsely populated, mostly dependent on traveling rchants. If the Church manages to gain control there or in the Western Empire, Calot would lose either way. Worst case, the Holy Church could use the Western Empire to choke off Calot's trade to the west. It would be like grabbing Calot by the throat.
That was Kenji's conclusion.
Still, to put it harshly, internal chaos and missionary activity in the Western Empire are ultimately their own problems. Calot can't interfere unless the Western Empire explicitly asks for help. Although relations are close, the Western Empire is not a vassal state—Calot has no right to ddle in their dostic affairs.
That said… judging by the situation, it's only a matter of ti before the Western Empire asks Calot for help. It makes sense to prepare in advance. anwhile, to the north of the Western Empire lies another country that's also been influenced by the Holy Church, and Kenji has wanted to root it out for a long ti: Samangan—a country that mixes farming and herding. While small, it often invades its neighbors and many of its leaders are now forr mbers of the Church. Frankly, Samangan has beco little more than a puppet theocracy. This could be the perfect opportunity to get rid of Samangan—once a vassal of Calot and now a traitor. Doing so would give Calot far greater strategic freedom against the Sal Kingdom in the northwest.
Kenji, deciding Samangan was a priority, began focusing on intelligence work. Given how Samangan is constantly undermining the region, Kenji was sure the Western Empire would be very willing to help Calot investigate its secrets. With that in mind, Kenji quickly drafted the necessary docunts and handed them to his subordinates to present to Pluvia, applying for special funding support…
He could almost picture Pluvia's expression on seeing another funding request. Of course, finances in Calot are tight these days. But just because things are tight, that doesn't an they can let the Holy Church reel in and transform all their western neighbors. If they simply did nothing, who would defend Calot's sparsely populated western border? What would happen to the trade routes? Should rchants really have to travel twice as far?
Kenji laid out all these points clearly—he was certain that Pluvia would approve the funding. He also began to mobilize Grey Scales, Calot's intelligence division. The goal wasn't to send agents into the Western Empire yet, but to monitor and address Holy Church organizations and their followers in Luminara City. Anyone who needed to be dealt with would be quietly removed, to prevent leaks when orders ca down. Grey Scales, trained by the expert Lina and with plenty of experience from various martial artists, was ready for this beginner's mission.
Upon receiving the orders, Lina imdiately set out to organize a dragnet in Luminara City with Grey Scales.
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